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Anchor 1 ▼ S. Sisto Vecchio •

Anchor 1 ▼ Chapel of the Relics ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 S. Paolo fuori le Mura Memorial shrine over tomb of St. Paul: 64-68 Church built by Constantine: 324 Church by Theodosius and Honorius: 395 Fire ruins Church: 1823 Current Church: 1854 • Acts of the Apostles 28:16 records St. Paul arriving in Rome and early witnesses record his death in 64-68 by beheading by Nero (54-68). The execution is said to have happened a couple miles away at Tre Fontane. The Roman Lucina then buried him at her family tomb here • Christians soon began to visit the tomb of Paul and a memorial shrine was built

Anchor 1 ▼ Sistine Chapel Artist: Andrea Lilio and Ferdinando Sermei • The painting is of the four evangelists

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Niches Artist: Allegretti; Fabi-Altini; Gallori; Maccagnani Date: 1882 • This statue is of the apostle St. James the Less • The statues of the ten apostles that are found in the niches were created by various artists. The statues of Peter and Paul are under the main arch

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ ▶ ◀ St. Wenceslaus Artist: Angelo Caroselli Date: Mosaic copy • The altarpiece is St. Wenceslaus. St. Wenceslaus (907-929) was a duke of Bohemia

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of St. Dominic Artist: Unknown Date: Unknown • The statue is St. Antonius • St. Antonius lived from 1389-1459. Each of the four statues in this chapel represent Dominican bishops

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ St. Peter Fourier • St. Peter Fourier lived from 1565-1640

Anchor 1 ▼ Sistine Chapel Artist: Aureliano Milani Date: 1742 • The painting is Birth of the Virgin ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ Left Aisle

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ ◀ Chapel of St. Gregory the Great Date: 1955 ca. • The plaque is Funeral Monument of Edmondo Bernardini. Edmondo (1879-1955) was of the Cistercian order and abbot of this monastery

Anchor 1 ▼ Matronea • After the Augustinian nuns were given the church in 1560, the cloistered nuns could follow Mass at the women's galleries (matronea) ▲

Anchor 1 ▼ ▲ St. Vincent de Paul

Anchor 1 Gregorian Room • Almost all of the original apse mosaic of 1220, in the main church, has been removed due to the 1747 renovation and later fire. Parts of the original work can be found in this room • There are also many fragments from the basilica before the fire • The side entrance here connects with the Ostian Way. Although this is convenient, the best experience is to enter through the atrium ▶ ◀

Anchor 1 St. Francis Xavier Chapel • St. Francis Xavier lived from 1506 to 1552 • He was born in what is now Spain • He was a co-founder with the St. Ignatius Loyola of the order of the Jesuits • He was one of the greatest missionaries and traveled to Asia, India, and Japan to spread the good news of Jesus Christ ▼

Anchor 1 ▼ ▶ Annunciation Chapel

Anchor 1 ▲ ◀ Longinus Relic Artist: Bernini Date: 1627 ca. • Each of the four piers are dedicated to an important relic that is housed in the balcony area above each statue. The decorations were designed by Bernini for Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644). Thus Urban's VIII's coat of arms is at the base. The spiral columns are from the altar of old St. Peter's • The relic for this pier is the lance of Longinus. Sultan Bajazet II gave the lance to Pope Innocent VIII (1484-1492) in 1489. The Tomb of Innocent VIII in the left aisle also records the gift. According to the story, Longinus is the later name given to the solider who pierced Jesus with a lance (Jn 19:34) and the centurion who said "Truly, this man was the Son of God (Mk 15:39) ▼

▼ Anchor 1 Chapel of the Holy Founders Artist: Giuseppe Chiari • The vault painting is of angels

Anchor 1 ▼ Central Bronze Doors Artist: Filarate (Antonio Arevulino) Date: 1433-1445 • The panel on the left is the Savior. The panel on the right is the Virgin Mary • These doors were originally used at old St. Peter's by the gift of Pope Eugenius IV (1431-1447). They were cast in Florence

Anchor 1 ▼ Gregorian Room Artist: Unknown Date: 1500s • This fresco is of God the Father with angels ▶ ◀